


My Roommate Won't Cuddle with Me (or my Boyfriends)!

by Akira_of_the_Twilight



Series: My Roommate is a Demon (and There is Going to be Trouble) [15]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Demons, Demon Tony Stark, Established - James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Steve Rogers, M/M, Polyamory, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9568880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: When Clint offers Tony a chance to cuddle, and Tony refuses the offer, Clint knows something is wrong.Clint bets it has something to do with the new tattoos that protect against the "demon whammy."





	

Steve, Clint, and Bucky trudged into their apartment with Tony close behind them. They were grouchy and tired from having spent the entire day getting tattooed. Clint snagged a juice box from the fridge and flopped onto the couch. Bucky muttered something about a shower and disappeared into the bedroom, where he could be heard rustling around in the drawers. Steve rolled his neck and did a few stretches in the kitchen.

Tony locked the front door then stood in front of it. He watched Steve, a small smile on his face as he enjoyed the view.

Clint guzzled his juice and set the empty box on the coffee table. He rolled over, groaned, and patted the couch cushion. “I know we barely did anything today, but I’m in desperate need of some rejuvenating cuddles. Someone give them to me.”

Steve stopped in the middle of stretching his spine. He exhaled and slouched. “I don’t want to sit down for another hour. I’ve been cooped up too long.” Steve glanced out the window. The sky was dark with only the city lights offering illumination. “It’s probably too late for a run, isn’t it?”

Clint sighed. He completely understood where Steve was coming from. After spending most of the day sitting or standing around, he wouldn’t mind a walk either, but he also wanted to rest in the peace of his home and watch the news or something in order to take his mind off the tender spot on his chest.

“Give me fifteen, and I’ll join you,” Clint offered.

Steve nodded and headed toward the bedroom. He stopped in front of Tony, who was pressed up against the front door. “Something wrong?”

Tony shook his head. He slid down into a wall squat. “I need to keep my butt nice and perky.”

Steve flushed but craned his head as if to check out Tony’s butt. “Looks nice to me.” Steve strolled into the bedroom.

Tony’s mouth dropped.

Clint snickered. “Wasn’t expecting sweet ole Steve to be a flirt?”

Tony’s mouth snapped shut. “More like I didn’t expect him to blatantly check out my ass.”

“But it’s such a nice ass,” Clint deadpanned.

“Don’t you start with me, Clint Barton.”

Clint folded his arms on the couch’s armrest and grinned at Tony. “Oh? So you can dish it out, but you can’t take it?” Clint winked and wiggled his ass. “Come over here, big boy, and let me show you a good time.”

Tony grimaced. “I’ve seen park benches with better come ons.”

“But do any of them have a cute butt like mine?”

“Is that an invitation to ogle your butt?”

“You get five seconds,” Clint said.

Tony pretended to mull it over. “I think I’ll save it for a rainy day. Am I allowed that?”

Clint snorted in amusement. “Sure. Whatever.” Clint pushed himself onto his knees and stretched like a cat. “Want to play a round of Mario Kart before Steve and I take off for a walk?”

Tony hesitated. “No thank you.”

The answer gave Clint pause. He studied Tony, who was still pressed up against the front door. Tony’s arms were crossed over his chest and his shoulders were hunched.

A thought occurred to Clint. “Hey, Tony, do you mind grabbing me another box of juice?”

Tony blinked. He looked at the fridge, then at Clint. “You’re closer.”

“Yeah, but if you bring the box then you can join me on the couch and we can cuddle.” He’d only cuddled with Tony two other times. It had been obvious during the previous encounters how much Tony enjoyed the physical act.

Tony shook his head. “It wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Clint’s brows drew together. “Okay, something is up. Why won’t you move from the door?”

Tony gestured to himself. “Wall squats, Clint.”

“Bull shit, Tony,” Clint used the same matter-of-fact tone Tony had on him.

Tony sighed, looking put upon. “Fine. I wanted to wait until the effects wore off a bit, but right now you three physically repulse me. Also, if I get too close, I start to feel as if I’m burning from the inside.”

It took Clint a moment to process and understand what Tony was saying. At first he thought Tony had performed a complete one-eighty and no longer was interested in Clint and his boyfriends. Once he thought about it more, Clint realized the real reason why Tony didn’t want to be near them. “It’s the tattoos, isn’t it?”

Tony rose out of his squat. He nodded. “The ink is too fresh, and the priest made a point of heavily blessing it. In time I’ll be able to come near all of you again without feeling like my insides are being scorched. For now, I have to keep my distance.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” If the three of them had known, then maybe they could have arranged something to make things easier on Tony.

“Getting you three protected right away was more important than some discomfort on my part.”

“‘Discomfort!’ Tony, that’s a load of-”

“What are you two arguing about?” Steve emerged from the bedroom in sweats.

Tony pushed farther back against the door.

Clint cursed and waved Steve over to him. “You’re going to hurt him if you stand too close.”

“What?” Steve asked as he hurried over to Clint.

Clint explained in a rush what he had just learned.

Steve scowled at Tony. “You should have said something.”

Tony shrugged.

“I’d have done the same thing,” Bucky hollered from the bedroom.

Tony blinked and leaned off the door just enough to peer down the hall. “You heard all that?”

Clint didn’t hear Bucky’s response, but judging by the fact that Bucky didn’t come out of the bedroom (which would have brought him closer to Tony), Clint assumed Bucky’s answer was an affirmative.

“Just because you would have done it, doesn’t make it right, Bucky!” Clint shouted back. “Also, not cool, Bucky. Not cool at all. We’re supposed to be a team. We can’t keep important information from each other.”

“This isn’t some sport, Clint,” Bucky said.

Tony nodded. “He’s right. The consequences of waiting until we had something arranged for me could have been deadly or worse. As I said, a week or more of discomfort is a small price to pay. Plus, I’ve had worse. Much worse.”

“He also can’t go very far from you,” Steve murmured.

Clint whirled on Steve. “Not you too.”

Steve frowned and shook his head. “I still don’t agree with what Tony did, but I also have to acknowledge that you two are tied together. There would have been no perfect solution even if we had known ahead of time.”

“But we could have come up with something,” Clint insisted.

“Doubtful. Unless you think you could have rented out a place with more square footage,” Tony said drily.

Clint glared at Tony. “You're my friend, Tony, so stop being so blasé about this. I’m not okay with one of my friends getting hurt, especially when it is because of me.”

Tony sighed. He scrunched his face as he rolled his jaw. He made a thoughtful sound. “All right. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but I would do it again if given the chance. Demons and the like are my problem. I’m not letting them hurt you. Any of you.” Tony pointedly looked at Steve then looked at Bucky.

Clint took a deep breath and slumped into the couch. “I guess there’s really no use arguing over something that’s already been done.”

“Not really,” Tony agreed.

“You’re sure it’s only temporary?” Bucky asked.

Tony nodded. “How long it will take might vary, but I should be able to stand next to you three eventually.” Tony beamed. “In the meantime, you three have the perfect excuse to have as many private dates as your hearts’ desires. Not that you couldn’t before, but now there’s a practical reason for you three to spend more time together and not anywhere near me.”

Tony’s smile was so wide, it look like it hurt.

Clint’s chest ached at the sight. He was tempted to question the sincerity of Tony’s words, but he stopped himself. Confronting Tony about his feelings was something better left for private discussion than talking about it in front of Bucky and Steve; he wouldn’t want Tony to feel ganged up on. So Clint bit the inside of his cheek, smiled back and pretended that everything was normal.

Well, as normal as anything could be when your roommate and friend was a demon.  


End file.
